In the village of Hulugo, there's simply a tattered Kenyan flag and a cinderblock schoolhouse with chicken wire windows.

We arrived at Qumusea District School one morning as the children, barefoot but in shipshape uniforms, filed into the clean cinderblock classrooms.

Trying to emulate the relaxed atmosphere of Ms. Atwell’s classroom, Ms. McNeill pushed the desks out of their rows and against the white cinderblock walls.